Station indicator



s.. MITCHELL.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATIGN FILED )UNE 30, 1920.

, Patented Mayz', 1922.

A, dan, Wijf,

I aftozwag,

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

S. MITCHELL.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATloN FILED JUNE 2o. 1920.

1,414,369,l Patented May 2,k 1922.

,Wi/'9 ce.

8.-' MITCHELL.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION man :uma 3o, 1920.

Patented May 2, 1922. SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STATION INDICATOR.'

APPLIcATIoII FILED IuNE 2o. 1920.

S. MITCHELL.

STATION INDICATOR. APPLl'c/mou Flu-:n JUNE 30. 1920.

1,414,369. I mama .my z, 41922.

` tical electromechanical station indicator re'- v SAMUEL Miroiinm., orjnnfnoif, 1v1Iori-Ionen.. V

Application led June' 3D,

To all whom' t may concern.'

Be itrknownl thatl, SAMEIL MITCHELL, aV citizen of thel United' States, residinov at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and AState of llichigan, have invented new anduseful Improvements in '.a. Station Indicator, "of which the-following is a specification.y

'Experience' has'demonstratedthat a pracquirin-'gy little lattention from persons in au",- thority is a desideratum; This will be better appreciated When it is stated that it'is eX- tremely difficult fortpassengersin street cars, especially at night, to identify the crossings or stops or stations as the same are ap- I'Jr'oached by acar and hence it frequently happens that passengers are carriedbeyond their respective destinationsl and areV sub-v jected tol the' annoyance of Walking back to such desti-nations or else are caused -to leave the car at'jpoints unknown to theml which makes it dii'cult for. themto indtheir respective Ways.

The object vof my 'present' inventiomtherefore, vis the provision of an electro'fmechanical station indicator that 'will vaccommodate itself to diierent speeds'of a car,- thatV will be susceptible of luse on all kinds of cars, that will be adapted', with slight 'adjustf ment, tor use fonA those lines in which-.thecars traverse the same course out and.i'n.. as.V

.made a part hereof :f

Well as those lines known asY belt 'lines in which the cars traverse acontinuousf vcouise'i'frnn and` toV a common point, and" thatavil'l be cable of utilizing the car-'driving current for retvinding the web' at Vthe com'- 'mencement of a belt line run. y'

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention, consists inthe improvement as'- hereinatter .described and de'iinitely claimed.

In theaccompanying' Ydrawings,ihereby Figure l is a front elevation of a station indicator constructedin accordance `with my invention, with the'. face plate ofthe casing removed.

Figure 2 is aview similar to Figure lllout .with certain elements'om'i'tted for theclearer illustration' ot other elements. l v

Figure 3 isa detail elevationof driving' after-explicitly referred to. Y

Figures 4t and 5. are detail:sectionsitalienV iin the planes indicated by thelines andk l5;'5, respectivelyyo'f Figure'V *Figure* Gais an .enlarged endelevati'oii ofv ldurabilityl fireliabilityin ope'rato1ij.=-"f-Y fdfesignedv to exemplify th "apparatus 'asdescribe'd; y 'Similar` numerals of reference designate STATI'OIiiI-Nmefe.

i920.` seria-ina 392,923. f

the in dicator-y showing theknife-switch and the irlieostatl comprised in my improvement. -Figaire is a'transversesectionon an'eni Figui-e8 `is a front elevation otthe's'tation indicatorcomplete on afgreatly re!A duced Scalea, .v A f Figure 9 is a detail enlargedview of one ofthe' terminals to supply' current atappropri'ate )points fbefore the car' reaches'a crossi'ngfforthe actuation of the web bearlng the names ot-stations'i. e.,"crossings or stops;-l itfbeingu'nderstood in'this connection that car-moving current is not'u'tilized under nori'nal Working conditions to 'moved thelweb step" by step, andA that the web' is moved a predeteri'nined"distance Vasf-the car approachcsastation to display 'the name of 'Y the "statlonf'sothat a' passenger, mayf,fif` necesto stop atisaid station.

. L" Figures i lO-r ,and` llf are diagrammatic vieivs e 'operation of; the

sary, havefampleiti-meV .to :psig-nail, for thefcar the drawings; r

*t5/A' detailed' description ottone oii the cur:-

-rent-s'upply terminalsalluded' to Will-suiiice to impart definite 'understanding of all.

Referring therefore particularly to Figure if '-9 it will be understood thatl is a hanger, appropriately Ysupported v:adjacent'j to `the hanger' 2 of'a trolley'wire' 3, and equipped with a`conductiveterminal 4, :inv .the form of a rodv of suitable length designed-to -be' connected .wvithfa 'sourceofxelectrieenergy Y of a character suitable for .the step by. step 'movementfof the *web'of the indicator. l It J V.willalso-becbserved that the trolley pole?) ycarries ythe*'usual' Wheel' -tor (2o-operation With-the wire to suppl-.y currentto ther/ar 'rmotor,` and .also carries ci'rcum'terentiallyV grooiredf 'Wheel f7 for'. co-operation With.- the f- 'rodtto supplyfcurrentior certain period VOiFtiIne-to the"v niotor 8`of the' stationifindif n cater as thezc'ar3 app'roaches-astation.V 'Ehe n ov'el sta-tion indicator is'zde'signedg-to, j, f bei carried atfanypr'eterred point-'in acar, and it. xisjlwvithin' thegpiirvieivotmy `inven-y Y l tion vto. construct vthe;parts of' the lindicator .f ofazarioiisi`materials-- most'. ...appropriate and as Y light as .possi-ble consistent jwith Strength? front wall 10 being preferably, though not or cut off from their filaments.

' tions and journals.

latter of which the motor 8 is located.

necessarily, vremovable to afford access to the interior parts, and'belng provided. with a preferably glazed display opening r11, Fig# ure 8. On one end wall of the casing body 9, Figures 1, 2, 6 and 8 I employ arheostat 12 and a knife switclr13. These elements per se maybe and preferably are of the ordinary constructions well known in the elec- A` trical art and need not therefore, be described in detail.

The interior` ofthe casing body 9 is divided bya transverse wall 14 kinto two compartments 15 andl in 1lie or convenience o'f description I will hereinafter designate the compartment 154 asjthe web compartment and the compartment 16 as the motor compartment.L In the web compartment 15 I arrange one or more (preferably two) incandescent lamps 17. These are preferably disposed in Lthe ordinary well known lighting system of an electriccar and need not bev further described except to sayv that they aresubject to a switch by the manipulation of which current may be supplied to Also arranged'in the compartment 15 is a web 18, .preferably of translucent character, that bears in regular sequence vthe station names,

I and is disposed in front of a guide member 19 mounted between the partition wall ,f 14 and the outer end wall 20 of compartment 15. Fixed toand extending longitudinally inwardfrom the end wall 20 are tubular projections 2l, Figure 2, and opposed to the. inner ends of tubular journals 21a on saidA projections -21 are 'disks 22 which are cony nected to and retained in position by retrace tile coiled springs 23, housed in the projec- It will also be noted that metallic brackets 24 arey preferably associated with the projections 21, saidbrackets 24 being fixed to the back wall of the casing body 9 and the projections 21, and be-y ing spaced from the latter. Mounted inthe i opposite end of the web chamber 15, with reference to the projections 21 and journals 21a, are rotary circumferentialy grooved disks 25 and 26, Figure 1, having central lugs 27. At 28 and 29, Figure 7, arev the rolls complementary to the webr18; each of said rolls comprising a cylindrical `body and heads, and each having in its body adjacent to one end a recess 30 in which is a short rod section 31. `The web 18 is connected to the i :bodies of the rolls 28 and 29 but the recess .30 and the rod section 31 of each roll are left uncoveredwhen the web is entirely removed from saidY roll.

vthat near Vthe points atwhich the ends of ,the web are vconnected' to the cylindrical It will also 'be noticed herev plates 32, each of which is designed to cover the 'adjacent recess 30and rod section 31 asy .Soon asa small portion of web is taken up on the roll.Y Each roll 28 and 29 is provided at one end with a tubular portion33 t0 receive one journal portion 21a and the cap 22 'thereoinand each roll is provided in its opposite end with an angular socket to receive one of the lugs 27. 'Ihus it will be'manifest that either of the rolls may be 'positively rotatedto take theweb 18 thereonas the webjis, letpoff the other roll. AnV endless band `is mounted on and connects the circumferentially-groovedl disks 25 and 26.

Those end'jjiortions o the rolls provided with the recesses 30 and the rod sections 31 are arranged adjacent to the partition Vwall 14, Figure 7, and also arranged inv the web f compartment 15 and adjacent to and in parallelisin with said partition wall 14'is a curvilinear lever 36, fulcrumedy at 37a and having its end portions superimposedv upon springs 38 which yieldingly hold said end portions against upward movement. Slidable on the arms of the lever 36 and yield'- ingly held against outward movement by retractile springs 37 are bodies 38' on which are anti-ffriction wheels`39, designed-when` Vpermitted to move upwardly into the recesses 30L of the Vrolls', to 'bev movedi outwardly` on and endwise of the leverc36 by the. tappetl or rod sections 31.r `The end` portions of theV ylever 36 andrthe parts complementary yto said lever are arranged between guideplates 40, two pairs of which'are employed. Connectedfto the Amovable bodies 38l are cables 41, 419,V which are carriedl about verticalv anti-friction roll-y ers 42 and longitudinally through `apertures 43 in the partition 14 and into themotor lcompartment 16. It will be` noticed here in the partition wall 14, and also fixed to the said shaft 44 and arranged in the motor compartmentr 16 is a,circumferentiallygrooved pulley 45 that is connected' by an' endless band 4.6 with a circumferentiallykgrooved pulley 47, Figure .1.

48 alongside the same', vand Vsaid rspur gear 48 is intermeshedwith a spur gear 49.- Fixed v'to and" rotatable with said spur 'gear 49-is j a circumferentially-grooved pulley 50. This latten is '.connectedby an# endless' band 51 Said pulley 47 isl fixed to and rotates with aspur-gear with the circumferentially-grooved portions 52 ofA a rotatable body having clutch faces 54 and 55. The body 53 is loose cna longitudinal shaft 56, and on said shaft 56 are miter gears 57 and 58 having clutch faces opposed to the clutch faces 54 and 55, respei'tively. f One of'said gears is loose on and the other is fixed to the shaft. It is to be noted herethat the disk Q5 isV rotated solely byV the band and that there is no connection through the partition wall 14 between the miter gear 57 and said disk 25. Also fixed' on the shaft 56 to always turn therewith are a spur gear 59 and acircuinferentially-grooved pulley 60; the latter being connected by an endless band 61 with a circumferentially-grooved pulley 62 on the armature shaft 63 of the'motor 8. Loosely mounted on a stub shaftV carried by the adjacent side wall of the casing body 9 is a miter gear 64, interposed between and intermeshed with the gears 57 and 58. Ful- Icrurned at .an intermediate point of 'its length near' the back' wall of the casing body 9, as indica-ted by 65, is a lever 66 on one arm of which is a gudgeon 67, disposed in a circumferential groove 68 of the body 53. To the other arm of saidv lever 66 is directly lconnected the Vbefore mentioned cable 41, Figures '2 and 7. The other cable 41a after being carried aroundan anti-friction roller v67n on the back wall of thecasing body 9 is also connected-to Vsuch'other arm of the lever 66. It will also be noticed-here that there is a rod connection 70 between the mentioned arm of the "lever 66 and the knife or lever of the knife switch 13.

From the construction thus -far described it-wi'llbe understood that with the motor 8 supplied with current at intervals the web 318 will be moved step by step. from one roll `to the other, and when the end of -a route is reached the 'driving connection fromv `motor to the disk 26 will be reversed so that on the return movement of the carthe web 18 will be moved step by rstep in reverse direction.- 4

nte'rmeshed withy the spur gear 59 on'the longitudinal shaft 5,6 is a spur gear 71, Figures, 1,1 2, 3 andl 5. Said gear 71 is loose `upon and eccentric to 'a longitudinal shaft '72, `being' arranged aroundan keccentric cani 73. The veccentric ca m 73 'is' fixed to the shaft '72 and is utilized to adjust or position the .gear 4.sectors 74, 'hereinafter described. Carried by and: arranged at :the outer-:side

ofthe spur-'gear 71V are .opposite spurgearvwardly"extendingcrankfarm 77, and interi osed betweenVV said arm -77 anda forwardlyextendir'ig` rod 7 8l on 'the :back wall i ofthe casing vbody9, Figurel .4, is aretractile spring 79, the function of` whichis to yield'-A ing hold the arm 77 in'and return it tothe relative position shownin Figure 4.'

Located in a housing 80-ad3acent tothe back wall of the casing body9 is a pairof electro-magnets 81, vandcomplementary to said magnets81 1s ani-armature 82,'p1voted at 83 and having a forwardlyextending arm 84, movable ina slot 85 in the forward `wall of the housing 80.

` Fixed* to and extending forwardly I the back wall of the easing body 9 is a bracket 86, Figures 3 and 4, and fixed to and extending laterally from said bracket y86is a spindle 8,7, Figures .3,-4 and 5. Loose on the said spindle 87 lis an eccentric .cam 88, having a head 89 atits outer @end 4on lwhich is a radial arm 90. Said army90eis .outer side of and fixed to a spur gear 94, Figure 3, disposed betweenithe. spur gear 71 and the disk 75, and' adapted in oncjposi.-

tion to be intermeshed. Vwith the sector gearsv 74. Thus wheny the. magnets v81gare energized the gear 94 will "be movedv into posi-. tionffor'.cooperationgwith the sector gears 74, and when the "magnets 81 are de-enertric cam 88 is disposed in a sleeve 93 at the gized Vthe spring 92 4will function/to .move

the gear 94 out of saidposition. "1

p For cooperation with the notched 4, and forcooperation withv the spur gear 75 by a retractile spring 97 interposed be.- tween the lever' and ythe back wall ofthe casing-body 9. Said l ver 95 is also transversely apertured at 98 for the passage of Va cable 99 that is extendediloosely through an .eye`100, Figure6, inone end wall 4of the casing body 9 and is 4connected to the lever 1,01 lof the rheostat 12. The cable 99,v passes .from tlie aperture inthe detent-` lever 95 Y l disk 75: Y i 1j provide a detent lever 95,. Figures and yl Y through a guidej102 lontlie. back wal-l lof the .casing body V9 and-isthen wound about a drum 103. At its inner end 4the drum 1.03 isl .provided with a rfiange 104, notchedV at diainetrically-opposite vpoints,as vindicated by105. The gear9.6 andthe drum-103are' fixed tol a 'shafti106 on Vwhich is fixed an arm 107 lbetween whichand .the back lwall. of

the casing body. 9 is interposed a retraetijle' f Aspring-108. The cable 99 is ,',connectedto' said arm 101. Arrangedfbetween thegea-r 96 and the VVdrum y103 isv a 'spur' gearrf109,

a-lined` and gintermeshed with theffspurgear 71. The shaft 196 extends loosely through the spur gear 109. r y

'The arm 77 on the eccentric cam is con`- nected to a cable 110. This cable 110 is carried through a guide 111 on the back wall of the casing body 9 and is connected to the inner arm of the lever 66, Figures 3 and 4. y Then my novel station yindicator is to be used on a car that traverses a route in one direction from end to end and then in the opposite direction from end to end, the. rod 70 and the cable 110 are disconnected from the lever 66 and the indicator is operated in the manner before described; the motor 8 being supplied with current at intervals in the manner hereinafter described.

' It will be observed that the knife switch 13 is electrically connected with the collector 7 for collecting` current to actuate the indi* cator; also,fthat a snap or other appropriate switch 112 is provided to interrupt the supply of current from the collector 7 when desirable or necessary. observed that the rheostat 12 and the motor 8 are electrically connected with the knife switch 13, and that said knife switch is electrically connected with the source of energy for driving the car motor, this latter provision being made forthe rewinding of the web from one roll Vto the other precedent to commencing al run on a belt line.

When my novel indicator is used in the manner described on a car to move to and fro on a line, the main lever 66 is adapted to be easily moved in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

On a belt line the indicator is designed to be used in the same manner with the exception that when the indicator is reversed the eccentric lever is actuated 'and throws certain parts Vof the mechanism out of gear and collected for a longer period when the car l eccentric lever against the cam shaft and actuates the rheo'stat to diminish the speed of the motor 8 until the cam follower falls into the cam slot. This allows the display It will further be,

Aof only one station due to stopping of the tended by return of the rheostat to its normal condition ready to assure the display of the `name of the succeeding station.

In the event of trolley troublev or when it is desired to send the car over a line to which the indicator is not suited, the indicator is electrically isolated from the current collector. This isolation is also effected when current from the car is utilized to rewind the web on a belt line car at the commencement of a run.

The rolls and the web of my improvement are susceptible of being readily placed in and removed from the casing. body 9. From this it follows that the indicator may be readily made ready for the particular route over which a car is to be sent.

By particular reference to Figures 10 and 11 it will be understood that in the practical use of my improvement current passes from the collector wheel to the motor 8 and the magnet 81 at the same time. This has the effect of rotating Vthe disk in the direction of the arrow which will cause the element 95 to rock out of the notch 76 and vtake up slack of the cable 99. The disk 75 continues to revolve, and the gear sector 74 `will then mesh with the gear 94 which was drawn over at the timel that the motor 8 started to revolve. the gear 94, in turn, through the gear 96, revolves the drum 103 against the tension of the spring 108 and pulls the lever of the rheostat downwardly and slows up the motor 8 by the time, that the arm 101 reaches the last contact in the rheostat. The lever 95 is secured in the notch? 6 which slackens the cable 99 sufficiently to allow the armr101 to fall between the two contacts on `the rheostat which stops the motor l'at the yproper time to display the nameof a street, but it will be observed in this connection that the current is still suppliedto the magnets 81 (due to the slow speed ofthe 'car in a city) and when the collector wheel runs ott the wire the spring 92 serves toV move the 'gear 94 from engagement of the sector 74, and the spring` 108 throws the rheostat lever back to normal vposition ready for another street.

.The overhead contact wire 4 is suiiiciently long to complete the above operation .when the car is runningat the greatest rate of speed.

l have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrange- The sector 74 revolves ment of the parts embraced in the present and preferred specificv embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of said embodiment. I

do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the said specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as inthe future practice of my invention various changes or modifications in the form and arrangement of parts may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

l. An electro-mechanical station indicator j having a web bearing the names of stations,

electro-mechanical means to move the web,

vand means to supply the lelectromechanical means with current at intervals in the traverse of a car and comprising automatic means to assure uniform actuation of the indicator irrespective of lthe speed l,of the car, said automatic means including a rheostat and an electromagnet. Y

2. An electro-mechanical'station indicator having a `web bearing the names of stations electro-mechanical means to move the web,

including a clutch, andan organized mechanism controlled by the web-moving means to throw the clutch, and means to supply the Y electro-mechanical means with current at intervals in the traverse of a car and comprising automatic means to assure uniform -actuf ation of the indicator,irrespectiveof the speed of the car.

3. An electro-mechanical station indicatorl comprising` a web bearing the names of stations, rolls complementary to the'web and having tappet means exposed by unwinding ofthe web from the rolls, movable devices operable by said tappets when exposed, a driving connection for the rolls including a shiftable clutch member, a spring-pressed lever on which said movable devices are mounted and movable, springs connectedto tions, rolls complementary to the web and having tappet means exposed by unwinding of the web from the rolls, movable devices operable by said tappets when exposed,

driving connection for the rolls including a vshiftable clutch. member, a spring-pressed lever on which said. movable devices are mounted and movable,' springs connected to said movable devices, and means connecting the'said'movable devices and the shiftable [clutch member andvincluding a lever in engagement with Vsaid clutch member and Vcables connected to the movable devices and connected with the lever, electro-mechanical means connected withsaid .driving connection to actuate the same, and means' to supply the electro-mechanical means with current at intervals in the traverse of a car and comprising automatic means 'to assure uniform actuation of the indicator-irrespective of the speed ofthe car. v i

Y 5. Ina station indicator, tliecombination of a web bearing the names ofstations, vrolls complementary to the web andhaving tappet means exposed by unwinding'of the web from the rolls, a driving connection toy the rollsincluding ay shiftable clutch member, and meansmovable by said tappets when exposed and connected `with said shiftable clutch member to move the latter; the said tappet means including vrodv sections disposed in recesses in the peripheries of the rolls, and the web being provided adjacent to its ends with curvilinear plates adapted to rest over said recesses and rod sections, electro-mechanical means connected with saiddriving connection to actuate the same, and Vmeans tosupply the electro-mechanical means with current at intervals in the trav erse of a car andv comprising automatic means to assure 'uniform actuationof the indicator irrespective rofthe speed of the car.

6. In a station indicator, the combination of a web bearing the names of stations, rolls A complementary togthe vweb and having tappet means exposed by unwinding of the web from the rollsa driving connection to the u rolls including a shiftable clutch member, and means movable by said tappets when ex*l posed and connected with said shiftable clutch-member to move the latter, with acas ing body -having a partition and comparti ments in onelof which the web and'rolls and the Ymeans movable by the roll-tappets are arranged; the shiftable clutch member being arranged in the other compartment, andan electric motor andshiftable connectionsl also iio being arranged in the other compartment, y i

nand means to supply the electro-mechanicalV means with current at intervals in the traverse `of .a car and comprising automatic means to assure uniform actuation of the indicator irrespective of the speed of they car. v

In testimony whereof, I aiiixfmy si nature. SAMUEL MIT() ELL. 

